The arts don’t just develop a child’s creativity, the skills children learn from visual arts can also spill over into academic achievement.  A 2002 report by the Arts Education Partnership revealed that school children exposed to the arts are often more proficient at reading, writing and maths. It looked at over 62 different studies from 100 researchers, spanning the range of fine arts from dance to the visual arts. In 2002, it was the first report of its kind to look at the impact of art on academic performance. Using this data, researchers determined that students who received more arts education did better on standardized tests, improved their social skills and were more motivated than those who had reduced or no access.

Results from a program through the Guggenheim Museum called Learning Through Art, sent artists into schools to teach students and help them create their own masterpieces. Children  who took part in the program performed better in six different categories of literacy and critical thinking skills than those who did not. Program organizers believe the improvements were the result of students learning valuable critical thinking skills while talking about art, which could then be applied to understanding and analysing literary materials.

Academic performance is not the only benefit of art making, it can also have positive benefits on wellbeing and focus. A recent article in Psychology Today by Dr Cathy Malchiodi, suggests that practising art uses the same part of the brain as other mindfulness activities such as meditation and yoga. Participating in a visual art can therefore give children a positive mindset, stronger focus, and feelings of happiness. As you persevere through painting, drawing or sculpting, positive focus is imperative, and certainly, focus is vital for studying and learning in class as well as doing a job later in life.